Press Release-for Immediate Release

Press Release-For Immediate Release

Metroplex Driver Compliance With Cell Phone Ban Poor In School Zones Fort Worth-1 September 2009 banned hand held cell phone use in active school zones state-wide as a primary offense with up to a $200.00 fine. (H.B. 55). Many cities have posted the signs, most have not. Some Metroplex cities not posting the signs are: Grand Prairie, Plano, Carrolton, Duncanville, Hurst, Euless, Bedford, Arlington, North Richland Hills, Haltom City, Richland Hills, Saginaw. Cell phone/texting has now become the #3 cause of accidents, injuries, and fatalities on Texas’ and the nation’s highways (U.S. DOT/NHTSA Traffic Safety Facts). Ohio DOT reports some 1,300 school zone traffic accidents with 500 injuries in the last three years. The National Safety Council has called for a complete ban on cell phone use while driving, see www.nsc.org. Harvard found cell phone use while driving accounts for 636,000 crashes, 330,000 injuries, and 2,600 deaths annually, see www.washingtonpost.com. We vaccinate our children against known diseases including H1N1, we must vaccinate them against the confirmed, communicable danger of cell phone use in school zones. Media and research reports cell phone bans without enforcement are of little use, see www.articles.latimes.com., www.seattletimes.nwsource.com. Longitudinal research conducted by the National Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and SafeKids confirms this belief, see www.sk.convio.net. SML looked at some 7,215 vehicles in five active and inactive, metroplex school zones before and after the law took effect. SML found limited enforcement had no effect on driver compliance with the new school zone cell phone ban compared to strong enforcement. Strong enforcement found in Farmers Branch shows only 2.3% of drivers were on their phone compared to 7.6% of drivers on phones with limited enforcement. Further, SML found not posting cell phone ban signs elevated the number and percentage of drivers on their phones comparing Arlington to other cities with signs. Data shows female drivers were almost twice as likely to be on their phone, 9.6%, as a group compared to male drivers at 5.5% in active school zones. NHTSA research shows female drivers are 2.8 times less likely to be involved in a fatal crash and 1.4 times less likely to be involved in all crashes. (U.S.DOT/NHTSA Traffic Safety Facts) Call SML, Carl Fors, at 817/291-2396 with questions or comments. SML is a Fort Worth based company with twenty-five years experience in researching and developing products for speed enforcement and highway safety. See www.speedinglimits.com, www.adoptaschoolzone.com, and www.radarsignals.net for background on the company. This research is for national publication and will be sent to the National Safety Council, NHTSA, and SafeKids, Inc. among other national media.

2300 Harvest Glen • Fort Worth, TX 76108 • e-mail [email protected] • cell 817/291-2396 fax 817/244-7630 • www.speedinglimits.com • www.adoptaschoolzone.com • www.radarsignals.net